


Hello and Goodbye (Josie and Thane)

by soldiermom1973



Series: Virmire Survivor [11]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Gen, HELLO AND GOODBYE, How Josie met Thane, Mass Effect Relationship Week, Tumblr Prompt, or something like that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 05:28:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14846687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soldiermom1973/pseuds/soldiermom1973
Summary: Josie is quite taken with the newest member of her crew.





	Hello and Goodbye (Josie and Thane)

**Author's Note:**

> For the [Mass Effect Relationships Week](http://vorchagirl.tumblr.com/post/161389252811/mass-effect-relationships-week-fanfiction-promps) thing over on tumblr.

It was like watching water flow in and around everyone in the room. It sounded stupid, but it was honestly the only way Josie could think to describe the way Thane Krios moved. From how he dropped silently from the ceiling, to the rapid succession in which he dispatched Nassana's guards, to the way he swiftly brought about the asari's end. He finished before Josie could even reach for her gun. Garrus and Grunt each had theirs trained on the drell, though, almost daring the assassin to try something stupid, and only relaxed after he and Josie exchanged a few words.

The first thing she noticed was how his voice had the same flanging quality one heard when a turian spoke. She always loved listening to Garrus talk and wondered if all drell sounded like Thane or if he had a speech impediment or something. Then she wondered if drell used subharmonics the way turians did. Thane was the first drell she ever met – hell, he was the first drell she ever saw outside of a textbook or training manual. To say she was fascinated would be an understatement and she was eager to get back to the Normandy and pick his brain.

Josie had Joker send a shuttle to pick them up. Grunt grumbled and glared at their guest, making it obvious he didn't like the newest crew member. Garrus calmed down a little, though, having more experience with Josie's judgment than the baby krogan. Still, Josie thought it wise to give the three of them as much space as possible, space that wouldn't be available in a skycar. When they loaded on the shuttle, she kept her distance, too, watching as the drell sat cross-legged on the bench. He cast a glance her way before his eyes fluttered shut to meditate.

There was something about him she couldn't put her finger on. He wasn't like any assassin she ever dealt with before and she was thankful Illusive saw fit to forward a dossier on him. Having someone with his abilities would be a serious benefit to the mission. She opened her mouth several times to ask him questions about his past, his skill set, or whatever else came to mind. She thought better of it each time, though, finally realizing that any questions she had could wait until they got back to the ship. Then again, he did say something about dying...

Josie's thoughts drifted to that piece of information. Thane said it wasn't contagious and that he had time to help stop the Collectors, but would he be ok on ground missions? Would he be willing to go along or would he hide behind this illness, this 'Kepral's Syndrome' or whatever it was, to do only as much work as he absolutely needed to? She took a deep breath and shook her head, willing her thoughts to return to something she had control over – once they were back on board, she would talk to Thane about his affliction and see what information Chakwas, Mordin, and EDI had on it. There was no sense in worrying about what Thane's limitations were just yet.

When they arrived at the Normandy, Thane headed to the med bay for a head-to-toe examination. While he was occupied with that, Josie took the time to clean and stow her weapons and armor before meeting Jacob in the comm room. The doors no sooner hissed shut behind her before Jacob launched into a tirade about her not being able to trust the newest member of the crew. Josie listened intently as her armorer's tone got more and more aggressive before dying away when Thane strode into the room.

Jacob voiced his mistrust once again, wondering whether Josie was comfortable having an assassin watch her back. Thane made it clear that he had accepted a contract, that his arm was Shepard's. Josie listened to the exchange with mild interest; her attention was focused more on Thane, trying to get a better feel for what made him tick.

“...loyal to more than my next paycheck.” Jacob's words gathered Josie's full attention.

“Obviously he is, too. He's doing this mission gratis. What's your concern?” she frowned.

“I don't like mercenaries. An assassin is just a precise mercenary.”

Josie bit back a laugh, wondering what Jacob would do if he knew about some of the things she had done in her past. Thane noticed her reaction and cocked a quizzical eyebrow at her. She grinned at him and shook her head, intending to explain things to him another time. Thane turned his attention back to Jacob and said, “An assassin is a weapon. A weapon doesn't choose to kill. The one who wields it does.”

He asked where he should stow his things, effectively ending the conversation. EDI popped up and offered the use of the life support room as it would suit his desire for a dry environment. Thane accepted the room assignment and gave a slight bow before leaving the room.

“He seems quite civil,” the AI observed.

Josie silently agreed. Thane Krios was unlike anyone else on the ship, or anyone else she ever met. She decided that she would give Thane a few hours to settle in before heading to life support to play twenty-questions with him. She smiled to herself, looking forward to spending some time getting to know the newest crew member. She had a good first impression of him and she hoped it would only get better as they worked together.


End file.
